US company develops clothing with built-in tourniquets

Agencies|

Dec 26, 2007, 06.33 AM IST

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RICHMOND: A US company has developed clothing with built-in tourniquets, outfits many hope can play a pivotal role in saving lives in combat zones.

The clothing was developed by BlackHawk, a Norfolk, Virginia-provider of military and law enforcement gear. They were presented with the idea by a US Army surgeon who was stationed in the Middle East and was forced to watch a colleague bleed to death from a fatal wound sustained in a rocket-propelled grenade attack on a convoy.

"It really kind of frustrated me," said Rose, recalling the attack in which he could not reach his wounded comrade to apply a tourniquet. "You're sitting there holding a tourniquet and we couldn't get it to him."

Rose, who spoke with BlackHawk once he returned to the US, said all he could do at the time was to talk to his colleague while the man took his last breath.

"No matter how good the tourniquet is if you can't get it on the person at the right time, it doesn't work," Rose said, who now does tactical medicine consultation and medical work overseas. "It's something that is so basic, so cost effective and so overwhelmingly life changing."

BlackHawk's Warrior Wear system is now being tested for use in military uniforms. It has eight tourniquets - two in each sleeve and each pant leg and is expected to retail for less than USD 200.

Military officials agree having readily accessible tourniquets is important.

"Tourniquets have allowed many people with devastating injuries to come back that in another time and another place would have died," said Col Patricia R Hastings, director of the Army's Department of Combat Medic Training based at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.